-ஆ

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *-ā.

-ஆ • (-ā) (clitic)

1. ah — interrogative suffix

   Synonym: (literary, Brahmin) -ஓ (-ō)

   அது சென்னைக் கடற்கரையா?

   atu ceṉṉaik kaṭaṟkaraiyā?

   Is that the Chennai beach?

• Also used when prompting the listener to clarify or confirm something.

Apocopic form of -ஆவது (-āvatu)^[1] or -ஆக (-āka).

-ஆ • (-ā) (interrogative, clitic)

1. either ... or

   Near-synonyms: -ஓ (-ō), அல்லது (allatu), அல்ல (alla)

   அவனா இவனா உவனா

   avaṉā ivaṉā uvaṉā

   This guy or that guy or yon guy?

• The suffix is appended to all the objects in comparison.

Apocopic form of -ஆக (-āka).

-ஆ • (-ā)

1. Spoken Tamil form of -ஆக (-āka).

   e.g., ‎அழகு (aḻaku, “beauty”) + ‎-ஆ (-ā) → ‎அழகா (aḻakā, spoken form of அழகாக (aḻakāka)).

-ஆ • (-ā)

1. Spoken Tamil form of -ஆக (-āka).

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *-aH ~ *-āH.

-ஆ • (-ā)

1. negation suffix, forms negative adverbs and adjectives from verbs.

   Examples:

   ‎அஞ்சு (añcu, “to fear”) + ‎-ஆ (-ā) → ‎அஞ்சா (añcā, “fearless”).

   ‎தாங்கு (tāṅku, “to bear, withstand”) + ‎-ஆ (-ā) → ‎தாங்கா (tāṅkā, “unbearable”).